A vessel encountered heavy weather is face to two kinds of danger ; the danger of upset due to the lack of stability and the lack of the longitudinal strength. Generally a small vessel is face to the former and the large vessel to the latter. Most of people do not consider the danger of upset by the latter but the former. But many ships missed at sea, the exact causes being not known. This pper investigated and analyzed the causes of accidents. The result was that the lohgitudinal strength of the hull is not enough to cope with heavy weather, and the particular cautions are needed to handle a ship in heavy weather.